Arthritis at 26- HELP!
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| Tue, 04-04-2006 - 7:06pm |
Hi everyone,
I'm 27 and a year or so ago began having pain in my hands. For the past year, I've had intermittent, severe pain in the knuckles of both hands, and occasionally in my wrists. My primary care doctor took some blood tests, and though my rheumatoid factor came back normal the ANA test came back slightly abnormal so he referred me to a rheumatologist.
The rheumatologist gave me a full workup and concluded that my hands hurt because I have "hyperflexible joints". My family also has a history of osteoarthritis but it has never set in at such a young age, which I told her. I also told her that my paternal aunt has ankylosing spondylitis and asked her to test me for the HLA B27 gene, but when I called to follow up several months later, she admitted that her staff had "forgotten" to order the test. At this point I am fed up with this doctor and have an appointment with my PCP on Friday to talk about getting another referral.
Has anyone else on this board had severe arthritis set in at such a young age? I feel like my doctors aren't taking me seriously and I'm having pain at least half of the days of the month. I do notice that it is worse when I overuse my hands, and when it's humid.
Any help, advice, understanding would be greatly appreciated!
Best,
Lisa

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Hi Lisa;
I was diagnosed when I was 26, shortly after the birth of my second child. I had severe acute RA, and was in an incredible amount of pain. 8 years later, I have been through a plethera of drug cocktails and now I am currently on a Enbrel/methotrexate combo. Although the RA has slowed me down a little, I have gained many blessings from having this disease. I still am very active, I do yoga, ski, walk, bike, hike, camp etc....the motto is use it or loose it. There are days when I'm tired, so I rest. There are sore days after skiing (or worse), but I rest.
There are lots of options out there, and this board is a wonderful source of support. I mostly lurk at this stage, but I would be happy to send you my email address if you need to lean.
Educate, educate, and educate yourself and then some. There are many many forms of arthritis. There is never a stupid question, and if your not comfortable with your dr (gp) or your rhuemy, change until you find one you like. They are your partners in managing your health.
Good luck.
Holly
and I'm the best barometer on my block for weather change..;)
Hi, Lisa, and welcome. Unfortunately, some of the forms of arthritis (there are over 100) have no respect for age. They can strike at any time, and early on in the disease, some of the tests will come back negative and only later show a positive result. If you are uncomfortable with the doctor you saw, by all means see another because early aggressive treatment is (in my opinion) the only way to deal with some of the autoimmune diseases. If allowed to develop unchecked, the damage they can do to joints can be severe.
Let us know how it goes.
Rosemary
Hi Lisa,
Age plays no role in arthritis. I was dxed at 16 (I'm 26 now). The best advice I can give you is to keep looking for a dr who you feel comfortable with and will help you find answers. Many of us here have been through more than one rhemy.
Smiles, Jen
Molly
Thanks for all the responses! The rheumatologist did say that she didn't "THINK" I have lupus, and I honestly don't have any of those symptoms, except for the joint pain. I tend to be a pretty high-energy person, though I have been sleeping more in the past year than I have before (9-10 hours per night versus 8 or less). But I assumed that was due to getting older.
Because the pain is symmetrical and is almost exclusively in my hands and wrists, I tend to think it might be RA (my lower back can be stiff when I wake up but I always assumed it was my mattress, so I can't be sure). Also, both my grandmother and aunt had/have autoimmune diseases, so I think it might be tricky to figure out exactly what's going on. I really hope I can get some answers soon, though! Will keep you all posted!
Thanks!
Best,
Lisa
Molly
Hi Lisa
I just came across this message board –such a great resource! Your post was so familiar I had to respond. Like you I am 27, and three years ago started having similar problems you described. My pain started in my feet and then moved to my hands and wrists. At the time I was in my second year of graduate school. I just figured the fatigue and pain was the result of working so hard (I am a painter), and kept making excuses. The pain and fatigue increased so slowly that I couldn’t really quantify it. I remember always thinking: “why does this sck so much-this should be the most energetic time of my life.” Whenever I mentioned this to people -I have a physical therapist and rheumy in the family- it was ignored. The same happened when I first went to the doctor who re-iterated I was overworking myself. At the time I had nodules on most of my joints, and could barely lift a coffee pot. I ended up being diagnosed with RA about a month before I left the country on a grant.
Anyway— think the best thing is to trust your instincts regarding your body. Find a good rhumy you feel comfortable and will listen to you. The really positive thing is-if it is RA-is how much better you will feel once you can be pro-active about it.
Tke cre and good luck
Bests,
Rebecca
Molly
Hi Molly- Thanks very much for the reply. I hope I didn’t come across as bitter regarding diagnosis. Truthfully, I was conflicted about that for a while. No one ever wants to think a loved one has a nasty disease—myself included. I suppose it is always complicated- Since I was diagnosed, my family has been a phenomenal source of support, and I cant imagine what I would have done without them.
As for my RA- I have been really lucky. I was diagnosed about a month before I left to live in Italy for a year- which made early treatment difficult (language barrier/blood work…) I ended up flying back to the US for a month to start sulfazine/hdrx chl—before heading back to Italy. It was an amazing year- both in terms of being abroad and feeling like I was finally crawling out of a hole. The drug combo (with naproxen) worked wonderfully.
Anyway now- back in the States- I still take the nap/sul/hdrxy. I also take borage oil and folic acid. I tried MTX for a bit but had the incred. hangover side effect—so stopped that. Actually Monday I am off to the Rmy to decide about humira. So far My RA hasn’t been terribly aggressive, so the thought is to hit it hard now to prevent further damage. Who can say? Reading these boards I realize how lucky I am. I have some pain but its not debilitating. I live in a city so walk all the time, or sometimes bike (although I get covered with lots of lovely bruises). My main problem is the fatigue, and feeling “flat” all the time. But considering, not so bad.
Gosh this is long- lol-thanks for a wonderful means to connect.
Bests,
Rebecca
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